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Summary List of stories Phase I Day: Honor, Duty, And Family << chapter 3 Chapter 4 of 75 The Cast-Down King chapter 5 >> << previous scene Scene 2 of 2 next scene >> Location Participants Time Summary Prologue | Phase I | Phase II | Epilogue 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 46 | 47 | 48 | 49 | 50 | 51 | 52 | 53 | 54 | 55 | 56 | 57 | 58 | 59 | 60 61 | 62 | 63 | 64 | 65 | 66 | 67 | 68 | 69 | 70 | 71 | 72 | 73 | 74 | 75 Text In her dreams, Luna smiled softly, hearing Scrivener's voice as if from far away as she stood on dark concrete, gazing up towards the stars and shining orb of the moon above... and then she shook her head at the sound of a soft laugh from behind her, the winged unicorn turning around and saying softly: "I apologize, Nightmare Moon. I was... distracted." "It is alright." said a soft voice... and a moment later, an enormous, black-coated winged unicorn stepped calmly forwards, her own starry, ephemeral locks swirling freely backwards as her tail flicked, her green, animal eyes glowing with tender cunning and possessive compassion in her slit-like pupils. Her teeth were large and sharp, and around her neck gleamed a collar of steel roses and deadly silver thorns... but like Luna's necklace, a black pearl was inset into the front of it, carved with the black rose. She stepped calmly forwards, her dark wings flapping once before furling at her sides as her enormous body flexed, smiling kindly as she leaned forwards and said gently: "Luna, I am so proud of you and Scrivener... our child is handsome, and strong, and will be powerful. And you have already decided to begin training him as soon as possible... I approve of this. I wish to aid you, in fact... I wish to help ensure our foal is as strong as he can be." "Thou hast my thanks, Nightmare Moon, but I would prefer to wait until my son is older... thy talents are not for the hooves and horns of babes." Luna replied gently, and Nightmare Moon looked less-than-pleased before the sapphire winged unicorn added quietly: "But thy skills will be appreciated in aiding to protect my child-" "Our child, Luna. Antares is our child... I am his mother as much as you are, you know this." Nightmare Moon said softly but firmly, and Luna couldn't hide her grimace before the dark-coated winged unicorn gave a slight, almost-teasing smile, leaning towards the smaller mare. "I am part of you, your passions, your bloodlust, the dark, deep part of you that was sealed away for so long, that even now you sometimes try and carefully avoid or shut away... but I will never be entirely gone, Luna. Not after the tampering done to us by Ignominious's demon... not after we have been awake so long, after we spent so long... in control. Not lucid, no, but you were us for longer than we... have been you." Luna grimaced at this, shifting again and looking away, but Nightmare Moon half-lidded her eyes, sliding forwards and adding slyly: "Besides... you remember the night Antares was conceived, don't you? Oh, I clearly, very clearly do... after all, I was the one in control that night, wasn't I?" Luna gritted her teeth, looking sharply at Nightmare Moon, but the dark winged unicorn only smiled calmly as she leaned back and said kindly: "But it was only luck. And it is no different than if the child had been conceived during one of your sessions with Scrivener Blooms, as we are the same in many aspects. I only delight that I was able to share in the making of Antares in a more... direct... method..." "Enough, I do not wish to think about it." Luna said finally, turning her eyes away again... and then she winced when Nightmare Moon grasped her face with a hoof, turning her head quickly back to look at her... but then the larger, dark creature only gently stroked along her features, her gaze soft, compassionate. "Oh, do not be silly, Luna. You are the child's mother... and I am only a piece of you. Without you, I cannot exist, would never have come to be, after all." Nightmare Moon soothed, and Luna shifted awkwardly before the dark-coated winged unicorn smiled slightly and straightened, adding calmly: "Besides, I am so rarely in control. You are the one who will have the delight of being out there in the world, raising him, loving him, being with him... I will merely be watching, and offering my advice from time-to-time. Although I do wonder how our beloved Antares will react to my presence..." Nightmare Moon looked thoughtful, then she returned her eyes to Luna as the sapphire equine fidgeted awkwardly before the dark-coated creature said softly: "But that is not solely why I wished to speak to you. I have a curiosity I desire answered. A difficult question that I wish to see you weigh in your mind." Luna looked less-than-thrilled with this, gazing grouchily up at Nightmare Moon before she frowned as the dark equine asked gently: "Tell me. Who is more important... Scrivener Blooms, or Antares Mīrus? Who would you kill, if you had to choose between the two?" "To kill Scrivener would be to kill myself. To kill my son would also be an act of suicide: I would not be able to bear such pathetic cowardice." Luna said with disgust, glancing hurriedly away, but Nightmare Moon only smiled knowingly at her, making the smaller equine shiver a bit in this dark world, as the shadows around her seemed to grow more intense, as she felt a strange pressure building in her head and heart. "I... I do not have to answer. I do not know the answer..." "Oh, you know, because I know." Nightmare Moon said calmly, leaning forwards as she stood tall, a curious smile on her features as Luna looked up with fury and disgust and self-loathing. "It is only a theoretical question, however, and I have given you the worst possible scenario that could ever arise... choosing between our beloved Scrivener Blooms, and our beloved child. But there is no shame is saying that you would save Scrivener Blooms instead of Antares Mīrus, if your hoof was forced. That is merely self-preservation. That is taking what we know is wonderful and worthwhile, instead of risking it for a child who may not-" "Enough, I will not listen to thou speaking this way!" Luna shouted furiously, straightening and glaring across at Nightmare Moon, and the dark-coated winged unicorn reared backwards in surprise before Luna shook her head violently and snapped: "Begone, foulest of monsters! I will not play these sickening mind games with thou any longer!" "So sensitive, Luna... and so afraid." Nightmare Moon replied softly, her eyes flashing even as she stepped backwards, smiling coldly as she began to fade away into the darkness. "But very well, I am going... I was only curious, Luna." "Curiosity killed the Nightmare." Luna muttered, glaring into the darkness... and yet all the same, she couldn't repress a shiver at what her instincts told her, at what Nightmare Moon had suggested, and the terrible mix of emotions that burned their way through her mind and soul. Category:Transcript Category:Story